THE JOURNEY. A One-Year Intentional Plan for Discipleship PREVIEW GUIDE INCLUDES ONE SESSION SAMPLE

Transcription

1 THE JOURNEY A One-Year Intentional Plan for Discipleship PREVIEW GUIDE INCLUDES ONE SESSION SAMPLE

2 ` CONTENTS PHILOSOPHY 4 HOW TO USE THE JOURNEY 6 PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE SAMPLE 9 LEADER GUIDE SAMPLE 24 STUDY PLAN 26

3 MAKING DISCIPLES IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR LIFE. The Disciples Path series was created by disciple-makers for disciple-makers. Fourteen disciple-making church leaders were brought together to think through how to instill biblical understandings, principles, and practices of discipleship with the end goal of making disciples who make disciples. This group of leaders included senior pastors, education ministers, and small group pastors from various ministry areas and traditions. The collaboration has led to The Journey a year-long intentional plan of discipleship. The following pages will help you understand a little more about this long overdue resource for disciple-makers. 4

4 DISCIPLESHIP DISTINCTIVES Through its design and structure, every session of Disciples Path emphasizes four key attributes of walking the disciple s path: THE DISCIPLE S PATH IS PROGRESSIVE. We are going somewhere to maturity. This is not aimless wandering. These studies build on each other progressively. THE DISCIPLE S PATH IS RELATIONAL. For a person to become a mature disciple, he or she must journey alongside the person discipling them. As this journey toward spiritual maturity is experienced, the disciple sees the lifestyle and practices of this disciple-maker, asks important questions of that person, and is taught specific skills, truths, and principles that will be exercised for the lifetime of the disciple. THE DISCIPLE S PATH IS DISCIPLINED. What happens between meetings is more important than what happens during them. We are to teach those we re discipling to observe, that is to do what is commanded. The greatest growth takes place when a disciple does what is commanded in Scripture, not just learns what Scripture says. That is why the end of each session in the Disciples Path series has a set of expectations that the growing disciple agrees to accomplish between meetings. At the outset of the following meeting, there is time for processing what has been experienced. THE DISCIPLE S PATH IS REPLICABLE. Paul had in his mind that a disciple-maker disciples someone who disciples someone who disciples someone. It s an ongoing process. The Disciples Path series was created with this principle in mind. The goal of every disciple-maker should be that the person who has been discipled then uses the series to disciple someone else. By using the same resources, even the first-time disciple-maker will be comfortable taking on this important but sometimes intimidating role. 5

5 HOW TO USE THE JOURNEY Each session of The Journey offers a mix of group discussion, personal study, and practical application. This includes questions for reflection, prayer guidance, a session introduction, Scripture passages, commentary, a weekly activities checklist, a Bible reading plan, and devotionals. GROUP DISCUSSION Because the process of discipleship always involves at least two people the leader and the disciple each session of The Journey includes a practical plan for group engagement and discussion. This plan includes the following steps: GET STARTED: The first section of the group material helps you ease into the discussion by starting on common ground. You ll begin by reflecting on the previous session and your recent experiences as a disciple. After spending time in prayer, you ll find a practical illustration to help you launch into the main topic of the current session. THE STORY: While using The Journey, you ll find opportunities to engage the Bible through both story and teaching. That s why the group time for each session features two main sections: Know the Story and Unpack the Story. Know the Story introduces a biblical text and includes follow-up questions for brief discussion. It s recommended that your group encounter the biblical text by reading it out loud. Unpack the Story includes practical teaching material and discussion questions both designed to help you engage the truths contained in the biblical text. ENGAGE: The group portion of each session ends with an activity designed to help you practice the biblical principles introduced in Know the Story, which are fully explored in Unpack the Story. This part of the group time often appeals to different learning styles and will push you to engage the text at a personal level. 6

6 INDIVIDUAL DISCOVERY Each session of The Journey also includes content for individual use during the time between group gatherings. This content is divided into three categories: WORSHIP features content for worship and devotion. These activities provide opportunities for you to connect with God in meaningful ways and deepen your relationship with Him. PERSONAL STUDY features content for, you guessed it, personal study. These pages help you gain a deeper understanding of the truths and principles explored during the group discussion. APPLICATION features content for practical application. These suggestions help you take action based on the information you ve learned as you grow in Christ. 7

7 AND WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD FROM ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MANY WITNESSES, COMMIT TO FAITHFUL MEN WHO WILL BE ABLE TO TEACH OTHERS ALSO. 2 TIMOTHY 2:2, HCSB

8 Personal Study Guide Sample Acutal resource size is 7.5 x 9.5 9

9 1 SESSION 1 WHAT JUST HAPPENED? You were created by a passionate God who relentlessly pursued you to bring you into His family. Welcome home. 10

10 Personal Study Guide Sample GET STARTED REFLECT In this study, we ll explore what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. You re probably reading this because you ve recently made a decision to take a step of faith. This decision may seem like something you initiated, but God has been at work in your life and pursuing you for quite some time. Take a moment to describe some of your encounters with God. Describe the first time you heard about God. Describe the first time you prayed to God. 2 Describe a time that God may have been present and active in your life but you didn t recognize it at the time. 4 PRAY One of the ways we communicate with God is through prayer. At its core, prayer is simply talking to God telling Him what s on your heart and actively listening for His response. When you re starting out, it might feel uncomfortable, erratic, and difficult. If so, don t worry. That s normal. Spend a few moments with God by bowing your head to acknowledge who He is. Close your eyes to block distractions. If you need help getting started, here s a five-point prayer for guidance. We ll be looking at other approaches to prayer in the next few sessions. Greet God. How you address God may depend on what you want to talk to Him about. He functions in a limitless capacity: Father, Daddy, Friend, Almighty, Savior, and Redeemer. Tell Him what you re thankful for. Tell Him what you re concerned about. Ask Him to help you understand the elements of the study today. Take time to listen for His response. What Just Happened? 9 11

11 1 INTRODUCTION New creation. Saved. Born again. Redeemed. These are just a few ways the Bible describes conversion, which is our response to the great gift of salvation, through which we re forgiven for being less than God created us to be. Jesus called His original disciples by saying, Follow Me, and He later explained that we must be born again. But what do those terms mean? Ultimately, salvation, or being born again, means leaving your old ways behind and trusting God. He initiated a relationship with you and offered you a way to experience that relationship. And you responded. That s what just happened to you. You ve turned from your old life and turned toward God. You ve been freed from sin and made right in His eyes. And you ve been rescued from Satan, the enemy of God, and adopted into God s family. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. What old things are you hoping will go away? What new things do you hope Jesus will bring to your life? The way we experience God s grace and mercy looks different for different people. Perhaps it felt as though you turned a corner in your life and discovered God right in front of you, or maybe you felt like He chased you down and caught you from behind. Regardless of how you describe your own journey, all such stories share a few things in common a change in what you believe, a transfer of loyalty, and a reversal of direction. God forgives, saves, restores, and reconciles. Are there people you ve followed over the course of your life? There are a few ways you can follow someone or something. You can follow people on social media. You can follow a favorite sports team or celebrity gossip. You can follow a philosophy or an idea. But when the Creator of the universe God in the person of Jesus Christ says, Follow Me (Matt. 4:19), we intuitively know that s something much different. 10 The Journey, Volume 1 12

12 Personal Study Guide Sample THE STORY KNOW THE STORY One day as Simon Peter was cleaning his fishing nets after an unsuccessful day on the water, Jesus climbed into his boat. Jesus had offered some unusual instructions for Simon Peter, and the resulting miracle brought the fisherman to his knees. He told Simon Peter to push back out into the water and to cast out his net again. With much hesitation he did as Jesus said. The net filled up with fish. After the massive amount of fish began to sink his boat, Simon Peter realized who Jesus was and it brought him to his knees. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch. 5 Master, Simon replied, we ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I ll let down the nets. 6 When 2 they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so 4 full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus knees and said, Go away from me, because I m a sinful man, Lord! 9 For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they took, 10 Don t be afraid, Jesus told Simon. From now on you will be catching people! 11 Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him. LUKE 5:4-11 What are some practical examples of what it will look like to follow Jesus in your life? What will make it difficult to follow Jesus? In what ways will it be easy? Being a Christian isn t about following rules; it s about following a Person. It s not about asking Jesus to follow us but about deciding to follow Him. Jesus doesn t stand in a far off place and demand that we get our act together before approaching Him; rather, He invades the reality of our lives and beckons us into a life larger than our own. Following Jesus is ultimately about doing what Jesus did the way that He did it. It s that simple. We love the people He loved, serve the people He served, and do the things He did. We strive to replicate His character, ways, and mission. What Just Happened? 11 13

13 1 UNPACK THE STORY Creation. Fall. Redemption. Re-creation. These four events represent the great story of God the gospel story. It was the story Simon Peter was swept into and it s the story you have now been swept into. Our lives make sense only as we understand them against this backdrop. Let s examine each of these events. CREATION In the beginning, God created. At the sound of His voice, galaxies were hurled into orbit and the smallest organisms were established. Water was pure, creation was untainted, and life was perfect. Then God created man and woman. Fashioned with His own hands and infused with His own breath, He created Adam and Eve to be in relationship with Him and to be stewards of His creation. Why do you think it s important to know God as Creator? God created man and woman. Fashioned with His own hands and infused with His own breath, He created Adam and Eve to be in relationship with Him and to be stewards of His creation. FALL Then, the Villain entered the story. Twisting the words of God and promising a better life, Satan planted a seed of unbelief in the woman s heart. Eve doubted the goodness and trustworthiness of God and reached for the very thing that compromised her relationship with Him. Adam and Eve believed a lie, turned against God, and pursued a story of their own making which left them separated from their Creator. Sin entered the world through humanity and everything broke. And that s what sin is: turning away from God s desire with actions, attitudes, or thoughts. What have you been taught about the nature and consequences of sin? How do you see sin s effects today? 12 The Journey, Volume 1 14

14 Personal Study Guide Sample Violence. War. Dishonesty. Greed. Sickness. The perfect creation became overgrown with evil, chaos, and despair. It was soon overrun with people who searched for meaning and salvation through selfish ambition. The world needed a Savior. For centuries, God pursued His people. He gave them leaders, prophets, and priests to guide them into relationship with Him. But over and over, the people became distracted and turned their attention to man-made gods. God s complete redemption was yet to come. REDEMPTION In order to reverse the disastrous effects of sin, to free people from the clutches of the Villain, and to restore people to God the Father, 2Jesus came to the earth with His eyes on the cross. Fully God, Jesus made the perfect sacrifice to pay the debt of our sin and to cancel the curse of death on our lives. Fully human, Jesus was able to completely represent man before God. Redemption had come. On the third 4day, Jesus rose from the grave to conquer sin and death once and for all. What is significant to you about Jesus being both fully God and fully man? RE-CREATION The story didn t end at the empty tomb; it had just begun. The great story of God would explode across the globe and change the hearts and lives of men and women for all eternity. All creation is moving toward a great day when Jesus returns and fixes everything that s broken once and for all. When you read the overarching story of God, is there anything that surprises you? Why? All creation is moving toward a great day when Jesus returns and fixes everything that s broken once and for all. What Just Happened? 13 15

15 ENGAGE 1 Here s a simple description of what it means to follow Jesus: doing what Jesus did the way that He did it. Read Philippians 2:5-11 together, aloud. Using this passage as a guide, make a list with the space provided of the attributes and actions of Jesus that His followers should imitate. Philippians 2:5-11 Attributes of Jesus 5 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. 7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, 8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. PRAYER REQUESTS: 14 The Journey, Volume 1 16

16 Personal Study Guide Sample WEEKLY ACTIVITIES In addition to studying God s Word, work with your group leader to create a plan for personal study, worship, and application between now and the next session. Select from the following optional activities to match your personal preferences and available time. Worship Read your Bible. Complete the reading plan on page 16. Spend time with God by engaging the devotional experience on page 17. Connect with God each day. Start each morning with the five-part 2 prayer included in the beginning of this study. At the end of every day, reflect on the times you felt closest to God and when you felt most distant. 4 Personal Study Read and interact with How Jesus Came on page 18. Read and interact with Why Jesus Came on page 20. Application Connect with your church. Attend a church worship service and take notes as the pastor teaches from the Bible. Connect with others. Seek out someone of the same gender who has also recently come into a relationship with Christ. Discuss your individual experiences over dinner or coffee. Memorize 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. Share this newly memorized verse with two different people. Spend time journaling. Benjamin Franklin said, The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory. Keeping a record of the things you are learning and the ways God is working in your life is a great way to track your spiritual growth. Each day, write down one thing you are learning about God. Other: What Just Happened? 15 17

17 WORSHIP 1 READING PLAN Begin reading through the Gospel of Mark this week. Use the space provided to record your thoughts and responses. Day 1 Mark 1:1-20 Day 2 Mark 1:21-45 Day 3 Mark 2:1-17 Day 4 Mark 2:18-28 Day 5 Mark 3:1-19 Day 6 Mark 3:20-35 Day 7 Mark 4: The Journey, Volume 1 18

18 Personal Study Guide Sample HOMECOMING The first words preached by Jesus are found in Matthew 4:17, where He said: Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near! It s also the foundation for the first sermon preached in the Book of Acts, when Peter declared: Repent... and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). When we hear repent, we often think it includes punishment or correction. But this word gives life. It doesn t mean get your act together or clean up your behavior so much as it means to simply turn around: to turn from sin and turn to God. It implies readiness. It results in a complete change of mind, heart, and action, but the first step is to turn around and see God. Repentance isn t something we do in order to 2 come to God, it s simply our coming to God. What is your reaction to this statement? 4 Take a moment and read Luke 15: What are your initial thoughts from the parable of the lost son? This story follows the journey of a man who strays far from home and far from the man he was destined to be. But eventually he backs away from his depraved life, turns around, and walks back home. That s what repentance is. It s homecoming. And when we return home, we don t find a father who is angry or eager to say I told you so. Rather, we see a Father who runs to us. Jesus doesn t call us to repentance to just change our behavior. He calls us to change our hearts and where we rest our heads. It s about who or what we are trusting in. Before trusting in the work done by Christ on the cross, what were the things you trusted in? The journey home begins with repentance at the cross. The greatest plot twist in history was God Himself coming to earth to deal with sin. At the cross, Jesus took all our sin onto Himself and paid our debt. This paved the way for us to go back home. Because of this we know we were created by a passionate Father in heaven who relentlessly pursues His children to bring them back to the family. Welcome home. Give an example of an area in your life in which you need to change direction. What Just Happened? 17 19

19 PERSONAL STUDY 1 HOW JESUS CAME For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. ISAIAH 9:6 God made a promise at the very beginning of time that He would make things right, and that s what the coming of Jesus was about. Jesus came not just to teach moral lessons or to set good examples. He came to liberate, make things right, and start a revolution. Let s look at four of the ways Jesus came to us. 1. Jesus left His rightful place in heaven and came into the chaos of humanity. In a stone feeding trough for animals, the voice of God was heard in the cry of an infant. He came dressed in the skin of His own creation, subjected Himself to the care of His own creation, and fixed His eyes on the salvation of humanity. He turned water into wine. He showed mercy to sexually promiscuous women. He healed the sick. He commanded dead men to walk out of their graves. He loved and showed honor to the scum of society. But we do see Jesus made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God s grace He might taste death for everyone crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering in death. HEBREWS 2:9 Have you ever thought of Jesus in these terms? How does the way Christ came to Earth encourage you as we live in a culture tainted by sin? 2. Jesus came as a man. He was born; He had a physical body and physical limitations; He expressed human emotions; He grew physically, emotionally, and relationally (see Matt. 1:18, John 4:6, John 19:28). Because He was fully human, He s able to represent us, to pay our penalty, to mediate for us before God, to serve as our example, and to identify with us. 7 He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, 8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even to death on a cross. PHILIPPIANS 2: The Journey, Volume 1 20

20 Personal Study Guide Sample 3. Jesus also came as God. His birth was supernatural. He claimed to be God, God declared him to be God, and even the demons recognized Him to be God. He displayed attributes of deity such as working miracles and forgiving sins (see Matt. 1:18, Col. 2:9). Because He was fully God, He was able to offer a perfect sacrifice. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One. We are in the true One that is, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 JOHN 5:20 2 Is it difficult for you to grasp the thought of Jesus as fully God and fully man? Why or why not? 4 Why is it important that He is both? 4. Jesus came to serve, sacrifice, and save. Romans 5:8 declares, But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! He is uniquely designed to represent people to God and God to people. Because He is fully human, He can offer the sacrifice on our behalf. Because He is fully God, He can offer the perfect sacrifice. 9 God s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 JOHN 4:9-10 What s your reaction to the idea that salvation isn t found in what we do for God but in what He has done for us? What Just Happened? 19 21

21 PERSONAL STUDY 1 WHY JESUS CAME Being a Christian isn t about what you do for God; it s about what God has already done for you. Jesus paid our debt, freed us from sin and death, and reconciled us to God and others. Jesus divinely disrupted and reversed the story of humanity. On the cross, our guilt, the bondage of sin, and our separation from God were reconciled. Let s take a moment to explore those terms on a deeper level. Guilt: Everyone understands words like guilt and debt. But what many don t realize is that we re born into much less-than-favorable standing with God by association with Adam. We re literally born into guilt and bondage. But Jesus paid a debt that He didn t owe and that we couldn t pay so that the charges of sin are canceled against us. Through Jesus, we experience forgiveness and cleansing. This is called propitiation. He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21 Journal your thoughts on the concept of guilt. Bondage: Jesus defeated the power of sin and death on the cross, liberating us from its grip on our lives and granting us eternal life in Him. Through Jesus, we are freed from sin. This is called redemption. 22 But now, since you have been liberated from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification and the end is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ROMANS 6:22-23 Journal your thoughts on the concept of bondage. 20 The Journey, Volume 1 22

22 Personal Study Guide Sample Separation: Jesus removed the wedge between us and God and made a way for us to have a relationship with Him. Through Christ, we are reunited with God. This is called reconciliation. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him. ROMANS 5:10-11 Journal your thoughts on the concept of separation. 2 4 Respond to the following statement: Jesus work on the cross pays for our sin and removes our guilt. It liberates us from bondage and restores our relationship with God. Which term do you not fully understand? Who will you seek out this week to gain a better understanding of this? Jesus didn t die on the cross to give us comfort and safety. Some people sell salvation like it s an insurance plan or a safety net. Unfortunately, we sometimes think that coming to God means that everything will be OK. Life will get better. Sometimes, it gets worse. We aren t promised that everything will be OK; we re promised His presence. He doesn t promise to keep us safe; rather, He invites us into a dangerous story to be proclaimers of hope in the midst of a very unsafe world. Jesus didn t die to make us safe but to make us proclaimers of hope in an unsafe world. How might this affect the way you view life? What Just Happened? 21 23

23 The Leader Guide will contain the same content as the Personal Study Guide. Each page is reduced in size so there s room in the margins for helpful comments, questions, and other leader helps. Leader Guide Sample Acutal resource size is x LEADER NOTES The primary goal of this session is to describe what happened to a new believer by unpacking the terms creation, fall, redemption, and recreation. The key truth is this: They are created by a passionate God who brought them into His family. INTRODUCTION New creation. Saved. Born again. Redeemed. These are just a few ways the Bible describes conversion, which is our response to the great gift of salvation, through which we re forgiven for being less than God created us to be. Jesus called His original disciples by saying, Follow Me, and He later explained that we must be born again. But what do those terms mean? Ultimately, salvation, or being born again, means leaving your old ways behind and trusting God. He initiated a relationship with you and offered you a way to experience that relationship. And you responded. That s what just happened to you. You ve turned from your old life and turned toward God. You ve been freed from sin and made right in His eyes. And you ve been rescued from Satan, the enemy of God, and adopted into God s family. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. What old things are you hoping will go away? The concept of following has many connotations in the modern world. Help the participants better understand the all-inclusive call of Jesus. What new things do you hope Jesus will bring to your life? The way we experience God s grace and mercy looks different for different people. Perhaps it felt as though you turned a corner in your life and discovered God right in front of you, or maybe you felt like He chased you down and caught you from behind. Regardless of how you describe your own journey, all such stories share a few things in common a change in what you believe, a transfer of loyalty, and a reversal of direction. God forgives, saves, restores, and reconciles. Are there people you ve followed over the course of your life? There are a few ways you can follow someone or something. You can follow people on social media. You can follow a favorite sports team or celebrity gossip. You can follow a philosophy or an idea. But when the Creator of the universe God in the person of Jesus Christ says, Follow Me (Matt. 4:19), we intuitively know that s something much different. 10 The Beginning LEADER NOTES 3 The Beginning 24

24 THE STORY LEADER NOTES KNOW THE STORY One day as Simon Peter was cleaning his fishing nets after an unsuccessful day on the water, Jesus climbed into his boat. Jesus had offered some unusual instructions for Simon Peter, and the resulting miracle brought the fisherman to his knees. He told Simon Peter to push back out into the water and to cast out his net again. With much hesitation he did as Jesus said. The net filled up with fish. After the massive amount of fish began to sink his boat, Simon Peter realized who Jesus was and it brought him to his knees. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch. 5 Master, Simon replied, we ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I ll let down the nets. 6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus knees and said, Go away from me, because I m a sinful man, Lord! 9 For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they took, 10 Don t be afraid, Jesus told Simon. From now on you will be catching people! 11 Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him. LUKE 5:4-11 A key truth you should establish in this section is that being a Christian is not just about following rules. It is about following a Person. Our lives only make sense against the backdrop of the gospel story that Jesus invades our lives and calls us into a relationship with Him. The call of Jesus is to live a life larger than our own. 1 What are some practical examples of what it will look like to follow Jesus in your life? What will make it difficult to follow Jesus? In what ways will it be easy? Being a Christian isn t about following rules; it s about following a Person. It s not about asking Jesus to follow us but about deciding to follow Him. Jesus doesn t stand in a far off place and demand that we get our act together before approaching Him; rather, He invades the reality of our lives and beckons us into a life larger than our own. Following Jesus is ultimately about doing what Jesus did the way that He did it. It s that simple. We love the people He loved, serve the people He served, and do the things He did. We strive to replicate His character, ways, and mission. What Just Happened? 11 LEADER NOTES Disciples Path Leader Guide 4 25

25 ` STUDY PLAN VOLUME 1: 1. What Just Happened? 2. The Centrality of Christ 3. Baptism 4. Time with Jesus 5. The Blessing of Community 6. Joining Jesus on Mission 7. The Importance of Discipleship 8. Defining a Disciple 9. Jesus Calls His Disciples 10. Jesus Teaches His Disciples 11. Jesus Equips His Disciples 12. Jesus Sends His Disciples 13. Review/Fellowship VOLUME 2: 1. Who Is Jesus? 2. What Did Jesus Do? 3. Following Jesus 4. The Priorities of a Disciple 5. The Cost of a Discipleship 6. The Fruit of a Disciple 7. The Doctrine of God 8. The Doctrine of Humanity 9. The Person and Work of Christ 10. The Kingdom of God 11. The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit 12. The Doctrine of the Church 13. Review/Fellowship VOLUME 3: 1. Immersed in the Word 2. Connected Through Prayer 3. Living in Community 4. Spirit-Filled Life 5. Serving His Kingdom 6. Spreading the Good News 7. Christ Came to Us 8. Christ Came with a Mission 9. Christ Came to Die 10. We Die with Christ 11. We Go with Christ 12. We Go Together with Christ 13. Review/Fellowship VOLUME 4: 1. Return to the Gospel 2. Seeing the Big Picture 3. The God Who Sends 4. Our Work in the World 5. Compelled by Love 6. Reversing the Curse 7. Living by the Spirit s Power 8. All Things to All People 9. Producing Spiritual Fruit 10. The Commitment to Disciple-Making 11. Disciple Through Strong Relationships 12. Who Is a Disciple-Maker? 13. Review and Commission 26

26 A WHETSTONE, THOUGH IT CANNOT CUT, MAY SHARPEN A KNIFE THAT WILL. CHARLES H. SPURGEON

27 YOUR CHURCH CAN MAKE DISCIPLES BY STARTING ALL YOUR PEOPLE DOWN THE DISCIPLES PATH. THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP WILL WALK TOGETHER DOWN THE SAME PATH AND HAVE A COMMON LANGUAGE AND TRAINING PRACTICE. EDDY PEARSON, Arizona Southern Baptist Convention

28 AVAILABLE Nov PREORDER Aug THE FOUR STEPS OF THE JOURNEY VOL. 1 Personal Study Guide $3.95 Leader Guide $6.55 VOL. 2 Personal Study Guide $3.95 Leader Guide $6.55 VOL. 3 Personal Study Guide $3.95 Leader Guide $6.55 VOL. 4 Personal Study Guide $3.95 Leader Guide $

29 THERE IS A DISCIPLE-MAKER INSIDE EVERY ONE OF US. If you are a Christian, you are called to be a disciple. And you have the Power within you to become a disciple who leads others in that pursuit. Disciples Path: The Journey can help. This new resource (available in November 2016) will offer a one-year intentional process for developing disciples who make even more disciples. See a free preview at lifeway.com/thejourney 30

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31 GO, THEREFORE, AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. MATTHEW 28:19, HCSB

32 THE JOURNEY is a one-year intentional plan for discipleship, specifically designed to make disciples who make disciples. Preview two additional sessions at lifeway.com/thejourney